U.S. Chamber Outlines Need for Checks and Balances in the Regulatory Process

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As part of the Project on Regulatory Reform, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today hosted former Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card to preview the launch of their bipartisan, nationwide tour to educate Americans on the need to restore balance, restraint, and common sense to the regulatory process.

“Unaccountable agencies are currently implementing more than 500 required or suggested rulemakings in Dodd-Frank and the 159 new agencies, commissions, panels and other bodies in the health care law through a system that operates without accountability or effective checks and balances,” said Bruce Josten, the Chamber’s executive vice president for Government Affairs. “We’re going to tell the story to the American people about the massive costs of procedural defects and excessive regulations not just on job creation but also on their personal and economic freedom.”

Bayh and Card made their debut on behalf of the Chamber last week during a grassroots conference call with several hundred associations, state and local chambers, and business leaders. The two discussed the need to restore balance to the regulatory process. They’ll now take to the road, making stops in Wisconsin, West Virginia, Illinois, Georgia and a number of other states.

“As the country emerges from one of the most serious economic downturns in recent history, the last thing we need are more regulations that impose heavy burdens on job creators,” said Bayh. “One way to get Americans back to work is by removing excessive and costly regulations that make it harder for businesses to grow.”
“Make no mistake, we need some regulations to ensure businesses have certainty, and to ensure we have adequate protections for health and public safety,” said Card. “But when regulations suck the vitality out of our economy, it’s time we take a hard look at restoring balance and accountability to the process.”

The U.S. Chamber’s Project on Regulatory Reform supports efforts to reform the regulatory process and make it more effective and accountable to the American people.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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